Your mouth isn't a separate room in the house. It's the front door.
Every day, what happens in your mouth reaches the rest of you: through your bloodstream, through what you swallow, through the air you breathe at night. For a long time dentistry and medicine carried on as if that weren't true. The research is increasingly saying otherwise.
I've spent more than twenty years watching this in the surgery, and I've written a book about it. These pages are a short guide to what the evidence shows, and, just as important, what it doesn't.
A word on evidence
Most of these links are associations. People with gum disease are more likely to have certain other conditions. That doesn't prove one causes the other. Where the evidence is strong, I'll say so. Where it's early, I'll say that too. And nothing on these pages is a reason to stop or change any medical treatment. Read more
The links
-The heart. Gum disease is consistently associated with cardiovascular disease. Researchers are still working out why. Read more
-Blood sugar and diabetes. The best-established link, and it appears to run both ways. Read more
-The brain. Early and fast-moving research into oral bacteria and dementia.
-The joints. Research on gum disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Read more
-The gut. What the mouth's bacteria may have to do with the rest of the digestive tract. Read more
-Hormones and the menopause. Why gums and mouths change through the menopause. Read more
-Sleep and breathing. Snoring, sleep apnoea and what a dentist can see. Read more
-The oral microbiome. The community of bacteria in your mouth, and why balance matters. Read more
What you can do today
The daily habits are simple, and they matter: clean between your teeth, brush well, don't ignore bleeding gums, and see a dentist and hygienist who look at more than your teeth.
The book
Heal Your Mouth, Heal Your Body: The surprising link between your mouth and your health is published by Hammersmith Health Books on 14 January 2027. Pre-order it here.
Talk to us
My Signature 18-Point Biological & Wellness Discovery looks at your mouth with the rest of you in mind.
Message us on WhatsApp or call 020 7099 6651.
General information only. Always speak to your GP about your general health.
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